VIDEO: Tropical Storm Bertha brings heavy rain

The Atlantic hurricane season continues its relatively mild trend into August, but meteorologists say the most active period typically does not begin until the middle of the month.

Tropical Storm Bertha continued on a northward path Sunday, blowing through the southeastern Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands. The southeastern Bahamas had 20- to 30-mph winds and heavy rain on Sunday.

Bertha is projected to continue curving north and away from the U.S. coastline without making landfall.

Although the eastern United States will likely escape a direct hit from Bertha, increased surf and the threat of rip currents will develop along the coast this week.

Bertha’s winds will remain offshore, but they will generate swells that propagate outward. The swells will lead to rough surf and the rip current danger along the Atlantic beaches from Florida to North Carolina today and Tuesday. The risk will begin to spread to the mid-Atlantic beaches later Tuesday before stretching from the Outer Banks of North Carolina to southeastern Massachusetts on Wednesday, including the islands of Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard.